This bill restores county and city ability to regulate the use of bicycles on sidewalks. State law was amended two years ago to prohibit the riding of bicycles on sidewalks by anyone over the age of 12.

This bill makes several changes to the regulation of motor carriers, including limiting the ability of counties and cities to perform regulatory compliance inspections except as authorized by the state. It further alters a number of definitions. Please let ACCG know if you have any issues with this bill.

This GDOT bill previously required counties to remove asbestos pipes in the state right-of-way. The bill was amended to now only require the county to notify GDOT when abandoning asbestos pipe and to retain ownership, similar to the abandonment of a county road. 

After July 1, 2011, HB 202 requires local boards of education to comply with a planning and construction guide regarding site accessibility and flow of traffic published by the Department of Transportation for school properties located on state routes.

HB 202 allows school boards to expend funds for the purpose of roadway improvements necessary to access a school, as well as to use education special purpose local option sales tax funds for road, street, bridge, utility and other improvements.

This bill provides that cash bonds must be accepted for offenses in violation of commercial vehicle or driver safety; hazardous material transport; motor carrier insurance or registration; or road taxes on motor carriers. It further requires compliance with all federal motor carrier requirements.

This bill expands the special interest groups that receive a variance from weight limit laws to include the transport of organic poultry waste and tree bark. It provides special treatment to chicken waste by doubling the current variance allowed for other industries to 10% or 8,000 extra pounds (4 tons).  Almost every year the General Assembly passes a new exemption to weight limits, which in turn increases the wear and tear on local roads and the costs of maintaining them for local taxpayers. Please let your legislator know you oppose this bill.

This bill would not allow contracts requiring motor carrier transportation providers to indemnify someone from any loss or damage resulting from an intentional act or omission.

This bill allows GDOT to issue multi-trip permits to overloaded trucks and reduces the amount of information required to be provided.

This bill extends the exemptions from the first and second motor fuel taxes for certain public mass transit vehicles owned by public transportation systems and for vehicles operated by public campus transportation systems until June 30, 2015. The current exemptions are schedules to sunset on June 30, 2012.

HB 793 would eliminate any length or width limitations (on all public roads) on vehicles used in an emergency tow of a wrecked commercial vehicle so long as the vehicle is not being towed more than 100 miles.  

This is DOT's annual cleanup bill. Among other provisions, it increases, from $100,000 to $250,000, the amount that DOT is allowed to contract for - without having to go out to bid; allows posting a bid on their website to satisfy the public bid requirement and suffice for having read the bid; and sets out conditions on when, and under what conditions, DOT can close or limit access to state highways. Additionally, counties will no longer be required to get the DOT Commissioner's permission to designate local truck routes so long as they notify DOT of said designation within 90 days of doing so.

This bill allows for a 5 percent weight variance for tow trucks carrying disabled, damaged or wrecked commercial vehicles within 100 miles of the initial emergency tow pick up location. Said variance would require the purchase of a $500 annual permit from the DOT. Tow trucks could not exceed a single axle weight of 21,000 pounds, a load on any tandem axle exceeding 40,000 pounds, or a total load length exceeding 125 feet.

This resolution asks voters to consider an amendment to the Georgia Constitution that would provide a portion of the state sales tax on motor fuel to be used to fund regional public use airports.

This bill creates a new class of personal transportation vehicles that go no faster than 20 mph and weigh less than 1,375 pounds. The vehicles are required to meet minimum equipment standards as defined in the bill.

This bill authorizes cities and counties to enter into cooperative agreements with Community Improvements Districts (CIDs) for the improvement of airports and landing fields within the CID.

This resolution urges GDOT to view itself as a planning, management, contracting enterprise that can more easily adjust to variations in funding and workload by contracting out to the private sector to the maximum degree practicable. GDOT is urged to conduct a careful assessment of its current staff and long-term needs; revise its employment and training practices to emphasize skills that are strategically important such as project management, innovation in design and delivery, and planning and programming; and set a goal of a 25-percent reduction in employees by June 30, 2015.

This resolution by the full General Assembly follows the recent snow storms that paralyzed significant parts of Georgia for a week. GDOT is urged to develop a list of qualified and responsible contractors willing to assist in weather or other emergencies and to develop and implement a procedure to preauthorize local governments to clear snow and ice from state routes during an emergency. SR 31 is an identical resolution except it is only by the Senate.

This resolution by the Georgia Senate follows the 2011 snow storms that paralyzed significant parts of Georgia for a week.  GDOT is urged to develop a list of qualified and responsible contractors willing to assist in weather or other emergencies and to develop and implement a procedure to pre-authorize local governments, at local discretion,  to clear snow and ice from state routes during an emergency.

SR 163 supports the creation of a cruise ship terminal facility in Savannah Harbor.

This resolution expresses the Senate's support of efforts to deepen the port in Savannah and Charleston.